Colds Were Not in the Contracts
by The Phantom Dragon
Summary: Kaede gets sick and fluffy angst ensues with Anise feeling bad for being the cause of it all. Takes place after chapter 13. WARNING! Extreme fluff alert for those like me who are in general avoidance of fluff when sober.
1. Chapter 1

**_*banging head on desk* Must. Get. To. Bed. Before. 3. Bloody. A.M. So. Plot. Bunny. Has. No. More. Brilliant. Alcohol. Related. Moments. _**

**_Ok so I was bored and _finally_ got some time on the computer but fuzzball had other ideas which is why I am NEVER again reading Manga whilst possessing an alcohol level beyond that permissible for thinking. _**

**_Bad, BAD idea. Cottontails and all their fluffiness be damned._**

**Colds Were Not In the Contract!**

_The wind picked up, causing her to instinctively pull her arms tightly around her and, in turn, the cards just a bit closer than she had intended them to be. _

_Suddenly the air swam with the gentle fragrance of rose and in the midst of the dark red petals exploding over her balcony was…_

Anis snapped sharply to out of her reminiscing of two days before.

_AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRG! SERIOUSLY! _She screeched in her head. _It's not that big a deal. _She saw pictures of plenty of hot guys shirtless or somewhere in that category in the celebrity magazines her friends were always giggling over.

_So why does **that** image have to keep popping up?_ She seethed. She was very grateful to Kaede but _seriously,_ why did it seem her memory banks were stuck on a glitch.

_Maybe because you actually know said hot guy whom you also have the means at your disposal to summon should you ever desire another private viewing_, a voice gleefully announced somewhere in the back of her muddled brain

_AAAAAAAH! Stupid, stupid, STUPID!_

"Miss Yamamoto, do you have a problem?" Anis 'eeped' and looked at Itsushi who was frowning at her from the front of the room.

"N…no Sensei." She replied innocently. The moment his back was turned however, her smile fell as her eyes returned to the empty desk one row behind her. What was bugging her was not so much the images as the absence of the normal occupant of said seat.

_Oh quite it,_ she comforted herself. _He's a knight and has all those special powers. I'll just ask Seiran later if he knows where the mutt is._

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

"Seiran!" Anis called to the Blue Knight as she caught up with him in the hall during lunch break.

"Oh hi Anis," the Blue flashed one of his sheepish little grins at her.

"Why isn't Kaede in school today?" Anis frowned worriedly. The Red Knight had been fine yesterday but the memories of the attacks were still fresh in her mind and it formed a nice little pit in her stomach that was ruining her appetite.

"Oh," Seiran's face fell just a dab. "I stopped by his place this morning, he's sick so is staying in bed for the day."

The pit immediately switched to guilt as Anis remembered her keeping him out in the chilly air since embarrassment boycotted letting him in her apartment after the accidental summoning. "But he was fine yesterday," she thought out loud. Ok he had been coughing during the finalizing of the contracts but since he had no problems during the physical she just assumed something in the magic had cured him.

"Ummm, you remember how he was coughing yesterday?" Seiran explained. "Well it seems he pushed himself too much in the physicals and those attacks he got hit with really took quite a bit out of him, lowering his immune system.

"Now he has a really bad cold and a fever. Sadly he refused my offer to cure him with one of my potions." Seiran pouted.

"So it appears the idiot is in fact an exception to his kind." Anis tried not to cringe at the flamboyantly exaggerative tones suddenly assaulting her senses. Ugh couldn't Mitsuru for _once_ keep his nose out of her personal space.

Anis 'harrumphed' and turned on a heel to march primly back to her classroom to finish lunch.

"Waaaaaahh, I've been ignored. But still, her rebuffs, no matter how deep the pain, are a joy to be cherished for the eternals of time. Like thorns protecting the beautiful pure blossom, they pierce my heart and it shall ever more weep tears of joy for her attentions, not matter how insignificant it may appear in her eyes." Now Anis really picked up the pace on hearing the perve lines. If her guilt didn't ruin her lunch than whatever came next certainly would if she stuck around.

_I'll stop over there after school,_ Anis comforted herself. After all, it was only natural as the Dominion she would wish to see after the wellbeing of her knights, even if the one in question enjoyed annoying her to no end.

At least she wouldn't be serenaded of how her temperamentalism akined storm clouds bearing the life giving essence with which to nurture the roses of spring's love.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Damn these stairs." Anis grumbled. "Why do people have to pick such high places for their temples?"

Finally reaching the top, she went around the shrine to the path leading to the Higa residence set back from the main temple complex. _Nice place,_ Anis thought.

The last time she had been here was the day after Haruto enacted her father's punishment by playing sadist on the Red. The memory of that time sent her stomach back into knots and her heart pattering erratically. She sincerely hoped to never see one of her knights in such condition again.

Reaching the house she knocked politely and waited for several minutes before knocking again with a little more force. Still getting no response she tried the door which, to her surprise, was unlocked.

"Hello?" she called as she removed her shoes and stepping farther into the house. Receiving no answer she was about to commence a search of the ground floor when a choking noise drew her attention to the stairs. Rounding the banister she came face to face with an extremely disheveled Kaede.

The two stared at each other in surprise before another fit of harsh coughing broke the silence.

"Kaede," Anis exclaimed, rushing up the steps to the teen who, it seemed, suddenly needed the support of the wall to keep from hurling headfirst down the stairwell.

"What are you doing here?" Kaede wheezed and had to cough several more times before he could breathe easily again.

"Seiran said you were sick so I came to see how you were. He didn't say you were _this_ bad." Anis grimaced. Kaede looked like death had decided to take up residence in the Lake of Fire. "Come on let's get you back in bed. You shouldn't even be up in your condition."

"And whose fault is that?" Kaede tried to grin but the effort was lost when he staggered and was only saved from an inglorious face plant on the hall floor by Anis's quick reflex.

"Kaede!" Anis cried for the second time as she carefully helped him sink to the floor. She tried not to freak as she made a show of feeling his forehead, not that it was really necessary since with her close proximity she could feel the waves of heat pouring off his body. "Oh you really are not doing to good."

Throwing an arm over her shoulders so she could better support him Anis grit her teeth and put all her effort into getting him back on his feet. For a second or two Kaede seemed to be too dazed to realize what she wanted before catching on. Carefully supporting her burden, Anis managed to maneuver them to a standing position but once there realized letting go was not an option.

The act of getting up triggered another bout of harsh coughing in Kaede. Anis bit her lip as the force of the coughs resonated through Kaede's lithe frame and into her. Trying not to wince at the painful sound she held him up as best she could while waiting for the fit to pass. It finally eased off, leaving to him sag heavily against her, drained of whatever energy he previously possessed.

"Sorry." Kaede managed between ragged pants as he buried his face in the top of her hair. Anis tried no to notice the way the air of him exhaling gently brushed her scalp and down over the back of her neck, instead focusing on the slow job of getting her charge back to his room.

Carefully easing her burden onto the bed, Anis stood back to get a better look at Kaede. What she saw did little to ease her worry.

Kaede's normally pale skin was now almost indiscernible from the sheets other than a flush the elevated body temperature left on his checks. The virulent energy normally carried in his eyes was dulled to a glassiness that reflected an unnatural gleam.

"Where are your parents?" Anis frowned. Surely they would not leave their son in such condition.

Kaede managed a watered down version of his smirk for her. "Dad's away on business and mom has a meeting with the Society up in Tokyo."

Anis tried to control the tick mark starting up on her head. "And said meeting was important enough to leave you alone like this?" she demanded.

"I wasn't _this_ bad when she left." Kaede tried not to whimper. He normally wasn't afraid of Anis but right now he was too ill to fight with her and she looked pretty darn angry.

"Oh," Anis pondered the implications of this. "Well then I guess I'll have to take care of you till they get back."

"Eh?" Kaede took a moment to process the idea but when it got through he somehow found the energy to sit up to stare at her in shock. "You, take care of me! Are you crazy?"

Anis scowled at the tone. "What's so wrong about me taking care of you?" she grouched.

Kaede made to answer but didn't get the chance as his throat closed over the words.

"You're the…cough cough… Dominion," he finally choked. "You need to get the others and…cough…find those Ar…cough choke…Arcana Cards." Anis winced in sympathy as the redhead doubled over as another bout consumed him.

"That's it I'm calling Seiran." Anis reached for the Blue's card but was stopped by Kaede's hand on hers.

A tiny little gasp snapped up her chest as she looked up to meet his eyes. There was a glint of that old determination back but why was it making her react like this? "Don't even think of it Anis."

"Is being this sick really worth a bit of discomfort?" Anis jumped and shoved him back. "Alright I'll admit, you looked like you saw the reaper last time Seiran gave you one of his 'cures' but he only intends the best and you're not helping anything with your damn stubbornness!"

Finishing her tirade she wheeled back on her unfortunate knight to find him clutching his head and curled against the headboard. "Kaede!" she screeched and hesitantly touched his shoulder.

"If…you want … me… to …get better," he slowly manages between gasping breaths, "then stop… tryin'… to crack … my skull open."

Anis grimaced as he finally raised his head. The glint was still there but it was clouded by the pain also swimming in his violet orbs. She really, REALLY wanted to call Seiran, but it would be pointless if Kaede refused the help. "Would you prefer Mitsuru then?"

Kaede's glower would have scared a Dark Stalker. "Only if you want me to bury him in the backyard pond." Anis drooped, remembering the way the class president had treated Mutsuki when the Black was attacked. No Tenjoh was definitely not up for an option unless it was point of death.

"Fine," she sighed, "guess this means I'm stuck here till you get better or your parents get home." Kaede couldn't come up with a response for that.

After making sure the knight would stay put while she was out of the room, Anis commenced raiding the house for items she figured she'd need to take care of her patient. "Damn Baka," she grouched as she searched the hall bathroom for a facecloth, "why can't he just listen for once?"

Grabbing a basin, she filled it with water and stormed back to the room, leaving a wet trail in her wake. The lecture she had prepared, however, died on her lips when she entered to see the shivering form under the blankets.

Sighing, she placed the basin and towel on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed. The same feeling from yesterday was returning, the one she had gotten when Kaede took that 'whisper' attack. The memory of him suddenly collapsing for no apparent reason throwing a choke-hold over her chest.

Gently pushing back the sweat soaked bangs plastered on his face Anis felt even guiltier remembering the way she adamantly refused to allow him in her apartment after her little accident with the cards even though he said he was cold. _Me and my self-consciousness,_ Anis remorsed. She wondered why Kaede hadn't put up much more of a fight when she forced him back under the covers before she left. _Can it be he's worse than I thought?_

He appeared to have fallen asleep in her absence but the shivering continued even though he was bundled in two blankets and wearing a second shirt under his pajamas. "Do I really abuse you so much?" Anis whispered, softly brushing a cheek with the back of her fingers, the heat making her wince.

Wetting the cloth, she carefully wiped the sweating forehead when amethyst eyes slowly slid open to meet her's. "Oh," Anis pulled away feeling awkward, "ummmm, your awake."

"Did I fall asleep?" Kaede frowned.

"Um… um yeah I guess you sort of did." Anis turned and busied herself with removing the thermometer she had found in the medicine cabinet from its container.

_Why am I getting all nervous suddenly?_ Anis squirmed, _I'm the Dominion, it's my responsibility to care for my knights._

_Then why in the name of the contracts am I getting all worked up over it?_

"Here," she said, shoving the thermometer in his face. "Stick that under your tongue till it beeps."

"Where are _you_ going?" Kaede called after her retreating form.

"To get you some water," Anis stated primly. "You sound like Ninufa used your throat for a scratching post."

**XXXXXX**

"Stupid Kaede!" Anis huffed as she searched the kitchen. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." Why did he always have to be the one to get hurt trying to help her?

First it was that outdated drink from Haruto before the race to decide her weekend, then the attack by Haruto himself in which Kaede would have died had she not turned back upon receiving her father's message, followed by the hits from that 'voice' thing yesterday. Now he was sick in bed and it was all _her_ fault.

_Great job you're doing on 'protecting' your knights Anis. In less than two weeks you managed to get them poisoned, torn to ribbons, kidnapped, almost sacrificed, knocked out by supernatural supersonic blasts, and then this. Absolutely fantastic job, really top notch._

Her misery grew as she recalled Kaede had taken that second hit only because she insisted on going by herself to find who was behind the attack and her brilliant method had been to throw him at whoever it was without thinking of the consequences.

Stopping for a moment, she leaned against the fridge and hugged herself. "Why Kaede?" She whispered in the silence. "Why do you always have to protect me even when it hurts you so much?"

_"…_ _I'll always be here for you."_

"Kaede." Anis whimpered and stifled a sniff. "You are such a baka!"

"What took you so long?" Anis couldn't help wincing at the hoarseness in the Red's voice as she set down her tray next to the bed.

"I was looking for the aspirins." She tried not to look at Kaede and instead focused on the thermometer he handed her.

_102.7! That's not good._ Anis forced herself not to panic. "Here," she forcefully popped a pill out of its wrappings, "this will help your head." Handing him the painkiller like it was acid on her skin she sloshed water in a glass and waited till he swallowed the pill before giving him the cup.

Kaede gallantly sat up and gave her a grateful look, but the attempt was lost when the hand that took the glass started trembling. Anis didn't stop to think as she reached out and wrapped her hand around his to steady it as he chugged the liquid. What did annoy her though was the smirk tickling his lips that remained even when she took the empty cup from him.

"What's so funny?" she demanded whilst try not to blush for some reason.

"Nothing." Luckily for Anis the awkwardness of the moment blew up with another round of coughs as the water's soothing qualities wore off.

"Alrighty, that's enough fun talk." Anis brusquely stood and tried forcing Kaede to lie back down. "To bed. Now!"

Anis gave him another shove in the chest but stopped, clutching at the shirt. "Hey what are you…" Anis ignored Kaede's protest and pulled aside his pajama shirt to feel the one underneath.

"No wonder you're shivering." She grouched and ripped the blankets off. "Your clothes are soaked. How long have you been sick?"

"Started getting worse when I got home." Kaede said, making a feeble attempt to retrieve his covers but Anis smacked his hands away.

"So you've been sick all night and sweating the entire time." She sighed and checked the rest of the bedding. "Which is why your sheets are also soaked, ergo why you're cold," she remonstrated.

Ignoring Kaede's protest, Anis slid an arm behind his shoulders and helped him sit up on the edge of the bed. "Got a second set of PJs?" She asked and proceeded to go through all his drawers without waiting on an answer.

Kaede huffed and let her be. He felt like the time Ninufa tried a transformation and knocked him into a tree, only this time the nausea was a lot worse. He seemed to be fluctuating between hot and cold. What little ease the water managed to provide his sore throat with had been stripped away by the last round of coughs. And like Anis said, he was drenched in a feverish sweat causing his clothes to stick, making him extremely uncomfortable.

"…Kaede!"

"Huh?" he snapped up to see Anis standing in font of him clutching a change of clothes.

"Are you alright," Anis set the items aside and placed her hand on his forehead. Kaede started at the closeness but didn't try to pull away; instead he leaned further into the touch.

"Fine," he lied. His skull felt like it was slowly constricting in on itself. The pounding behind his eyes that had been rumbling at a low beat all morning apparently decided it was time to up the tempo.

"Bullshit!" Anis snapped.

"I had to call you twice before you heard me." Anis was surprised when Kaede tilted his head more into her palm but didn't say anything. The guilt surpassing her reserves this once to not tease him about it.

"Hmmmm," Kaede murmured softly, "must have dozed off again."

Anis shook her head in frustration. "Come on," she pulled him to his feet, "we need to get you out of those clothes so you can sleep more comfortably."

"Mmmmmmph, do I have to?" Kaede whined. He didn't like standing because it made the dizziness worse. Slumping against her, he leaned down and nuzzled her neck with his cheek.

"Wha… what are you doing?" Anis 'eeped' and tried to pull away, but Kaede had her in a tight hug, restricting her movement.

"Too tired to get up." He mumbled against her shoulder. Really, if she wanted him to sleep all she had to do was keep her hand on his head like she did earlier or just let him stand like this.

Ok maybe not the standing part, but her skin was soft and smelt of soap and some kind of perfume that didn't itch at his nose like what most of the other girls in their school wore. She was so warm but still cool in a way that seemed to suck away and ease the heat of his fever. Almost like a large, hot water bottle teddy bear.

Except she wasn't a teddy, she was Anis, his _Dominion_ to be exact. If the other knights ever found out he had hugged her like this they would never let him see the light of day again. Well Mutsuki and Tenjoh-creepy-sempai wouldn't, Seiran would blush a bit and go off on one of his little 'quite-time' thinking sprees.

_Ugh, _the fever was messing with his head again.

Anis huffed and gently pressed two fingers just over the baka's eyes and pushed him back up. "Owwwwwe," Anis ignored him and wiggled out of his grasp but stayed close enough incase he lost his balance.

"What was that for?" She demanded. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to be angry with him, not when he was standing there looking like a soaked puppy with its ears drooping. Well a very sick puppy that is.

_Maybe it's guys like him that they were talking about when they penned the term 'sick as a dog'. _The small attempt at humor bringing a gentle upward curve to her lips.

"Standing up makes it worse." Anis sighed. The baka was such a kid at times but she wouldn't contest his statement. She had received her fair share of head pains to know what he was probably going through.

"Alright then let's get you changed. But first," she grabbed his shirtsleeve and dragged him to the bathroom, "we need to get that fever down and a cold shower will help." Silently she thanked whoever designed the house that they'd had the foresight to set up Kaede's room with its own bath since the idea of dragging him down the hall was not all that appealing.

Shoving the sick teen into the bathroom, she shut the door and leaned heavily against the wall next to it. _Ok what just happened?_ Had Kaede really hugged her?

_Na_, she shook her head, _must be the fever that's making him act weird. _Pushing away from the wall she set off to pilfer the hall's linen closet for fresh sheets.

**XXXXXXXX**

Kaede gasped as the icy liquid hit his overheated skin like a million needles, recalling too mind a certain Yellow Rose's idea of a grand introduction to _his _Dominion. The memory caused his hands to clench into fists of anger.

How could he…? How could he have lost to that spineless little shit so easily!

_Of course,_ he thought bitterly, _her father's **punishment**._ He could get Schwartz wanting him along with the other three dead and gone. But to use it as retribution on your own daughter for something you leveled on her?

_That_ ignited the fury running through his veins and this time he couldn't restrain himself in time to keep from slamming his fist into the wall of the shower. It raked Kaede to no end that the bastard had tried using him to get to Anis.

Anis! He suddenly remembered and tempered the growl sparking in his chest. The last thing he need right now was for her to hear and think he had gotten into some kind of trouble.

He still wasn't sure how he had lost, all he could remember was Haruto saying something about the Dominion's command no being complete before fire blossomed over his chest. The freak had been so damn _fast_ all he could see was a smudge of blurred motion as the Yellow spilled his opponent's life blood. Now he understood how Mutsuki had been bested without his powers.

Kaede shuddered at the memory of the bastard's tongue sliding over his skin in between whispered promises of revenge. He was just able to make out the jumble of words filtering through the haze of blood loss but they slipped away with every drop slowly staining the pavement. By the time Anis retuned he had been barely able to register the pain lancing through his being when she instinctively cradled his torn and broken body as if the pitiful attempt could somehow keep him safe and with her.

Of course none of it had compared to the burning knife the look on Anis's face drove into his chest, numbing away all else save the pain radiating in her eyes.

_I took an oath to protect you,_ he thought bitterly. _But how can I when I couldn't even take care of myself? _Cold water from the shower ran down his face and in his eyes, carrying away tears of pain and shame that started to well there.

"I swear Anis-sama," he breathed to the silence. "My life will be lived with the purpose of protecting you and you happiness." He paused and smiled bitterly at the thought of the last part to come, "even if it costs me my life this time around!"

_How cruelly ironic, _he mused, _we are all willing to die to protect her. Yet that is the very thing she fears most._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What took you so long?" Anis frowned as the redhead slowly made his way back into the room where she had just finished replacing the sheets on his bed. "I was starting to get worried that you passed out or something." The statement caused Kaede to raise his head horrified suddenly at the thought of worrying his Dominion even more. Anis realized this and blushed. Cursing herself for forgetting how seriously Kaede could take her words at times even when she was joking.

"If you had collapsed I would have had to call Mitsuru and then I would blame you for making me have to listen to him go on and on while waiting for you to wake up." Kaede finally realized she was kidding and relaxed slightly. The sudden loss of will to remain upright causing him to sag heavily against the bathroom doorpost.

Anis did not fail to notice the change in posture and was at his side in a flash to hurry him back to the soft support of his bed. Kaede could do nothing but down another glass of water she had crushed two Vitamin C tablets into as she felt his forehead again. "The shower seems to have brought down your temperature for now so you should be more comfortable. Try to get some sleep while you can," Anis said softly as she tucked him under the covers.

"Anis, I…"

"Shhhh," Anis hushed him, "it's okay. I'll be here when you wake up."

"I'll be fine on my own. You should…"

Anis had to almost physically restrain herself from hitting the boy. "If you suggest I go look for the Arcana cards and leave you here alone I will have Mutsuki tie you to that bed while Tenjoh-Sempai heals you just for the sake of showing you how much you are starting to annoy me with that crap.

"Kaede," she continued in a gentler tone, "finding the cards and restoring the seal is important. But I would rather have to figure out a way to stuff the devil _back_ in his cage as long as it means having all four of you by my side, safe and _healthy_! So just go to sleep. I'm not going anywhere till you're back on your feet."

Kaede stared at her stunned for several seconds before nodding in understanding. Without further fuss he snuggled down under the covers and finally surrendered to the call of the void that had been tugging at him. The last thing he was aware of was Anis whispering, "Sleep well, my Red knight. I'll be here when you wake up."

With that, he felt himself drift away to the gentle caress of _his _Dominion stroking a soothing hand through his hair over his fevered brow.

_My Red Knight…_the words echoed in Anis's head as she listened to Kaede's panted breaths finally settle for something less erratic if not totally even. _My stubborn, brave Knight of the Red Rose. Even though you act tough and like you don't care half the time, I know you would never let something happen to me. I can't fight, I can't heal or protect you in battle. So for this once, let me be the one to help you. _

_He looks so young, _Anis mused as she stroked stray bits of hair away from Kaede's forehead so she could place a freshly dampened cloth there. _They all are, yet they are ready to lay down everything for me. _Anis couldn't stop the small sniffle that rose past her chest.

_Why? Why do you all do it? _Anis was most surprised when tears sprung unbidden to her eyes. She hadn't cried when Kaede was injured the first two times so why now?

_Can you tell me Kaede? I hurt you so much but you have never abandoned me? Why?_

* * *

><p><strong>Okay so I just looked at my clock and it's proclaiming the time at 6:35 AM(where does the time go? Managed to watch 4 Hot Wheels BF5 episodes while reading Ransetsuki and write this?<strong>)**, therefore I must regrettably (eh?) leave you here while I go tuck my dragon in or my upper circuitry will resemble fried bunny goop in the morning.**

**So if you want to see the next chapter you're gonna have to press that little button down-under that says 'comment' and then maybe Ninufa will be incited to dig out the Fake Dominion to continue the warm and fuzzies. Till then! **


	2. Chapter 2: I'm too laz to name these

_***TPD looks up as Loki comes bouncing through the door.***_

**_TPD: What do you want _now_ Loki?_**

_**Loki:* grins and holds up puppy with Kaede's eyes and red hair* **_

_**TPD: Uuuuuuuuuuh, NO! I'm already taking time off my books to arrange your blasted family reunion counseling session. Therefore I have no time for more of your pet projects.**_

_**Loki: But what about the reviewers?**_

_**TPD: What about them? Agreeably I could still play with this but it was an OK place to leave.**_

_**Loki:*starts making his own puppy eyes* **_

_**TPD: Ghah! Alright! If I do this will you leave me alone to work on my other stories?**_

_**Loki:*nods vigorously* **_

**_TPD:*sighs* Fine! But you had better make them review or it will be November before I let you _anywhere _near__ my plot bunny again._**

**CHAPTER 2**

Birdsong slowly filtered through a cloud of haze that enshrouded Anise's mind. _It's quite pretty, _she thought. _I wish they came by more often. Wonder why they flew so far up here in the middle of the city._

Sitting up she stretched and went about rubbing the sleep from her eyes when she froze. Her surrounding suddenly registered in her still half-asleep brain, bringing her fully back to the land of wakefulness.

She was in Kaede's room in a chair by his bed. Memory skipped back into her newly rebooted brain of the previous evening.

She had remained with the Red until night fell when his mother called to check up on him. Anise had deftly assured her that she was in control of the situation and it was no inconvenience to take care of the ill knight.

Since it was the weekend she'd opted to stay at the Higa homestead rather than return to her apartment. Kaede could hardly stand without intense attacks of vertigo. Both of them at least consented that neither had any desire to invoke the need for Mitsuru's talents more than absolutely necessary. The one thing they had managed to agree on all evening.

Stretching her sore neck Anise almost jumped again when she saw the time. It was already quarter-to-eleven. She shouldn't really be surprised to have slept in so late. Kaede spent the night in spans of restless unconsciousness intermediated by erratic bouts of coughing. She had gotten even less sleep as she discovered caring for someone else was a lot harder than she originally imagined.

When she wasn't busy running back and forth between the kitchen and his room for herbal teas and cough medicines in a desperate attempt to ease his ceaseless wheezing she sat vigil by his bed. Cooling his burning brow and whispering reassurance in a bid to ease the nightmares that offered him no rest in their clutches. Fever dreams, she was quickly learning, were _a lot_ more unpleasant when you watched someone going through it. The feeling of complete helplessness scared her more than any subconscious terror she ever slept through.

At the moment he seemed to have calmed, for which she was thankful. Maybe now he could get some rest. The fatigue was starting to show on his pale face and she imagined she was probably sporting a similar, if slightly healthier, look.

Since he looked so peaceful she decided now would be good a time as any to grab a bite and freshen up a bit. Once her patient woke she wasn't going to have much time to take care of her own needs. It wasn't gonna benefit either if she got sick from personal negligence.

Emerging from the bathroom a few minutes later she was relieved to see Kaede still asleep. A sudden urge nabbed her and she carefully tiptoed over to the bed.

Looking down Anise smothered the small smile that tugged at her lips. She had never really seen Kaede wear any expression beyond smirky go-luck, grumpy (mostly aimed at something she did), bored, or dead serious fight mode. She was used to the dunderhead who ever ceased to annoy her at every opportunity but this was different.

Now, completely relaxed, his sleeping face seemed to bring out a totally different side. Void of any expression or thought, its complete openness made him somehow appear younger. More, well, innocent. Almost vulnerable.

This last thought caused the breath to squirm in Anise's chest. She'd never really thought about it until now. Kaede, Seiran, Tenjoh, and, yes, Mutsuki (all those years sleeping in a coffin didn't really count) were all teenagers. The miniscule age gap originally diverted any thoughts of their youthfulness. But now, here, it seemed suddenly sad. They were barely balancing on the line between children and adulthood yet the fate of the world rested with her and four boys barely older than herself.

All at once it seemed like an impossible weight.

_It's not fair,_ she thought. _It doesn't matter how much training he's had or what he's seen, he's still just a kid like me. We all are. _

_It just seems so wrong. He should be worrying about his school grades or out having fun with his friends. Instead they're all bound by this stupid oath to stick with me until the seal is fixed. _

_And yet he's stuck here **again** because of me, his dense, insensitive **Dominion. **_

How she hated that word. It was like a thorned chain binding her to them in an unbreakable cycle of death and darkness. Her incompetence almost cost them Kaede and Seiran. Haruto had simply been lucky enough her father still deemed him useful or he would have been gone too. Lost in that void that no one had any idea of.

Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes and willed the inner storm to calm. She would find those cards even if it meant walking barefoot through Hell on melting blades. She would free them and no one would die this time. She would make every personal sacrifice to see to that.

Sitting on the edge of the mattress, she brushed a couple locks of baby-fine hair back to get a better look. Exhaustion had taken its toll. Dark bags stood out like bruises under his eyes and his cheeks were fading to hollow shades. But still none of this detracted from his delicately sculpture looks. Instead it seemed to lend it an almost tragic element to his youthfulness.

Gently, as if afraid he would shatter under too much pressure, she stroked the back of her fingers over a porcelain cheek. After a few seconds dark lashes fluttered and Anise unexpectedly found herself staring into liquid violet orbs.

Again she found every part of her freezing at _that_ look.

The normally guarded eyes were now void of any and all defenses. Instead they showed a muddled pool of hazed emotions glazed over with fever.

It created a look of such utter defenselessness Anise suddenly wanted to hold him like she did after his near death at Haruto's hand. As if it would somehow shield him from the enemy and make it better. Except this time her opponent wasn't a corporeal threat, but rather an infirmity brought on by herself.

Slowly, Kaede seemed to register her presence through the fog clouding his mind. "Anise?"

That did it. That one tiny whisper of utter vulnerability offed her reserves like bombs through paper. She could blame it on an excess lack of sleep later.

Tucking her legs up on the bed, Anise wriggled back until she could lean against the headboard and ran a hand through Kaede's hair. "Yeah, I'm still here," she soothed.

Kaede closed his eyes and made a small noise that sounded like something between relief and contentment and turned his head in her general direction. Anise noticed the teensy upturn of his lips and her own expression softened.

_He's actually pretty cute when he's sleeping. Or at least not bugging me._

Smiling secretly, Anise continued carding her fingers through the silk-soft strands damp from sweat. Frowning at this last sensation, she placed her other hand on his forehead. The heat sparked her alarm levels again and she started reaching for the facecloth that had fallen off during the night when her hand was caught by a larger one.

She looked in surprise at Kaede who still had his eyes closed but kept her hand in a grip tight enough that she couldn't move away. "Could you just keep it there," he looked up with those disarming soft eyes. "Please?"

_Nothing_ could have enticed her to move now. So she complied. One hand absentmindedly running through his hair while the other remained trapped on his forehead in a now loosened grip.

Anise was almost tempted to crack a wise comment about the way he was still holding her hand when she felt the shoulder her knee had unnoticedly leaned against relax. She watched in surprise as the tension lines left his face as he settled beneath the covers. Even his breathing seemed to even out a little more with each pass of her hand. She suddenly got an impish impulse and left his hair to run the tips of her fingers over his ear and cheek.

The effect was almost instantaneous as Kaede let out a breathy sigh and went completely limp. _Wow, he really is almost like a dog. _Anise smothered a giggle when he turned his head again to press closer to the fingers now petting the side of his face.

_Is he really that sensitive or…_ Anise shook her head. _Naw, come on. This is Kaede we're talking about here. Itsushi-sensei said the knights can activate their powers just by coming in contact with me now. It must be the magic helping him heal is all. _

The moment was shattered by a loud, annoying noise. Or as it was more commonly known, the doorbell

Kaede groaned and opened his eyes. "Man! And I had just managed ta' fall back to sleep." Anise wanted to laugh at his pouty look as she slid off the bed to go see who it was.

"Oh, uh, hi Anise." Seiran said brightly when she opened the door.

"Hi Seiran." Anise responded and stood back to admit the Blue.

"Nice outfit." Seiran grinned.

Anise blushed, looking down at the slightly too big t-shirt and sweatpants. "Oh, um, yeah, I stayed over last night so I had to borrow some clothes."

"Why didn't you call me?" Seiran pouted, appearing _very_ put out that his abilities seemed to have been overlooked.

Anise shrugged noncommittally. "Did you see the way he looked after I had you cure him in the middle of that race?" Seiran nodded. "Times that by, say, a hundred and you'll have an idea of his reaction when I suggested summoning you last night."

"But still, you didn't have to stay up all night taking care of him by yourself." Seiran moped dejectedly, still obviously wounded by this disregard of his assistance.

"I didn't want to trouble any of you," Anise said, doing that thing where she tapped a finger on her cheek when she wasn't really thinking but still reasoning things out as she went. "Plus it's the weekend and I figured you all deserve a break after the tough things we've been through recently."

Seiran gasped. "Anise!" He looked at her remonstratively, "Kaede is my friend too. Don't you think it fair that I be allowed to know as well should he require my assistance?"

Looking slightly embarrassed at her honestly accidental forgetfulness on accepting his help in other possible, non magical, crises, Anise mumbled something under her breath about being too busy to think about it.

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

Under Seiran's reproachful gaze Anise couldn't lie. "Not sure. A couple hours. He kept coughing a lot so it was kind of intermittent. I just woke up not long go."

"Have you eaten yet?" Was Seiran's worried inquiry.

"Was just planning to…"

Seiran immediately reversed to logic mode. "That's it," he stated with finality. "You are going in that kitchen and you are not coming out until you have had at least a decent square meal."

Anise tried to protest, but in the end her stomach won out. Seiran could see to Kaede while she got some food for herself and tried to figure out what they would feed a sick person in a _normal_ family.

_I mean, Kaede is like, __**the most**__**normal**__ one of them all. _Anise reasoned as she whipped up scrambled eggs and toast for herself. _Mitsuru's probably got an army of servants and doctors to tend him if he's unwell in any way and I have no idea about the other two. Can artificial humans get sick, not counting allergies? _Anise made a mental note to ask (politely as possible) should in the future Seiran ever fall to nature's traps.

She was just finishing up with the dishes when Seiran trotted in, a dejected look slapttered over his face.

"Let me guess," Anise beamed as she presented him a cup of hot cocoa. "He refused your treatment and is now up there sulking as usual?"

"Sometimes I still have trouble understanding human logic." He stated gloomily. "My potions would work within minutes, alleviating any virus or foreign agents in the body. But still Kaede refuses them

"Why would he choose continuing to suffer rather than go through a few moments of discomfort that would completely cure him?" Anise desperately wanted to take pity on the poor homunculus but even she couldn't figure it out.

"Maybe it has something to do with his mentality." She reasoned. "You know he was trained from a young age to be strong and depend on himself and his own abilities to get the job done. Maybe this is one of those annoying male traits to see who's the strongest?"

"But who would he be competing against?" Seiran cried. "Mitsuki and Tenjoh Sempai don't know Kaede's ill. And even if they did, what would there be to prove? Neither of the other two is sick."

Anise _really_ wanted to bang her head against the nearest wall in frustration. _Never_ in her life had she imagined having to fully comprehend the male psyche. Much less _explain_ it.

"I guess it's a personal approach to the problem. Maybe you can interview Kaede more on it when he's all better. How does that sound?"

"Ok!" Anise almost cried in relief at Seiran's impressionability. Actually her knowledge of the male way of thinking was next-to-zilch since she'd never spent an extended period of time in the company of the opposite sex. Probably why she didn't have the problem with possible embarrassment issues most girls seemed to get when with guys.

The two sat and chatted for the next fifteen minutes, with Anise mostly answering Seiran's questions about human female traits. Finishing the cocoa, Seiran thanked Anise for her enlightenment and said he'd better get going so she could go back to making sure Kaede didn't get himself killed trying to do something he was too pigheaded to ask help for.

"Probably debating whether it's worth the headache dragging himself down to see what we're up to," Anise giggled.

Seiran raised a questioning eyebrow. "He would do that?"

Anise shrugged, "who knows what goes on in his head." Why did she always find herself wondering that whenever they were together?

"Anise," Seiran looked perplexed, "why do people hide their emotions? Wouldn't it be easier to just say what you are thinking?"

Anise paused to think. She had never really considered this before. "People are afraid of what others will think if they say what's really on their mind," she ventured, "or what might happen if we talk about what we're feeling. So instead we keep it locked up."

"But a lot of people still talk about what they think while others like Mitsuki just glare when you even so much as say good morning."

Anise had to muse hard on that one. "Some people have it harder than others; they don't have friends they can trust. So instead they learn to build walls as a way of protecting themselves from getting hurt because they are afraid that is what could happen if they trust the wrong people.

"Or sometimes they get hurt and build the walls so they won't get hurt again."

"Is that what happened to Mitsuki?" Seiran looked extremely upset by this idea. "Is that why he doesn't want to get close to any of us?"

"Weeell," Anise scratched her head, "he's friendly with Tenjoh, or as much as he can under the circumstances I guess. I have no idea what happened to him, maybe it's simply part of his nature. There are people who are just that way too."

"But you had to grow up on your own while Kaede had a family that loved and took care of him. Yet you're so happy and open while he says about as much a Mitsuki."

This time Anise had to agree with him. "I honestly have _no_ idea. Maybe because sometimes it might actually be a problem to tell others the truth, so that's why we have secrets. You know what that's like, right?"

Seiran nodded. "I was so scared of what Kaede would think when he found out I wasn't human. I was afraid he wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore because I was just an artificial stand-in to help contain the seal. Especially since I was lying to him about what I was all this time."

"There is nothing artificial about you Seiran," Anise smiled and squeezed his hand. "You're you. It doesn't matter if you came from a normal family, you're the Blue Knight and our friend and we care about you _very_ much.

"Did you know when you got taken Kaede was yowling circles trying to figure out how to save you?" Upon seeing Seiran shake his head in muted surprise Anise pressed forward. "When we couldn't come up with something he just sat on the roof all depressed and worrying about you. You're the best friend he's ever had. Even if _you_ don't have a normal family you both care about each other and that's what matters most!"

Her words seemed to ignite a spark in Seiran's eyes that quickly lit up his whole being. "You have no idea what this means coming from you Anise!"

He clasped the other hand over the one holding the first. "This has been weighing on my mind for the last few days but now I think I may be starting to understand. Thank you _so_ much!"

Anise had no idea what she was supposed to do with a comment like that. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to hug him (he was _so_ cute the idea _was_ tempting) or just smile. She decided to err on the side of caution and stuck to the later.

"Well then I had better let you get back to him. Thank you so much again Anise. You wouldn't _believe_ how _hard_ it is trying to comprehend some of these 'human' behavior patterns on my own. And quite obviously it's a bit of a problem finding someone I can discuss it with."

"Any time," Anise smiled. "Next time try asking Kaede. Maybe explaining male ego syndrome will help knock some sense into that thick head of his."

"Would it?" Seiran looked puzzled on how this could be.

Anise smirked. "Doubt it. See ya."

She watched Seiran disappear around the corner of the main temple before shutting the front door and leaning her forehead against the cool wood. Why did Kaede always act so private around her? He was usually pretty open with Seiran.

_Is it possible he's hiding something?_ Anise was quick to shake off the thought with a small laugh.

Kaede? Have a secret he was desperate for _her_ not to discover?

Oh please!

He may be a brilliant fighter but he had a bad habit of practically wearing his heart on his sleeve. The image of his pained eyes upon discovering his best friend of the past decade was nothing more than a bunch of implanted memories had burned itself on the inside of her eyelids.

In truth, the knight who had probably suffered most was him. Mitsuki had no recollection of his past while Seiran merely suffered doubts of his self-importance. Kaede had had his heart tampered with then crushed as carelessly as an unseen rosebud underfoot, all for the sake of maintaining equilibrium the duty-free way.

But still he refused to let that get him down. _How many knights and Dominions of the past cared that they were throwing away lives just so they could take it easy and let someone else suffer what should have been their responsibility? _

Anise didn't care if the council or whoever was pulling the strings didn't approve of her methods. She was going to see this thing through and she wasn't going to lose a single knight to this madness as long as it was within her power to save them.

And right now one of those knights was upstairs sick in bed because of something she had caused. With new determination Anise marched up the steps to face whatever the rest of the day would bring.

Kaede lay with one arm clutching the blanket pulled up to keep as much of his shoulders warm as possible. The other was draped over his eyes to block the light but was quickly removed when the mattress dipped under the weight of someone sitting down.

Mentally spinning through a few possible arguments for Seiran on why he would not be taking those completely vile concoctions, he was pleasantly surprised and not a little relieved to see it was Anise. Four seconds later suspicion set in.

"If Seiran wants me to take his potions, unless it is a life or death situation, I refuse. And tell him to do his own dirty work next time instead of dragging you into it!" He snapped.

"Seiran just left." Anise tried not to feel smugly superior to the shocked Red. Did he honestly think Seiran would stoop so low as to make her sweet talk Kaede into taking the meds? Not if she could help it.

"Oh!" Kaede looked a tad wary about this statement but decided to believe her. "What made him change his mind?"

Anise managed to restrain a grin at the memory of their conversation. "Well I told him you would get better faster on your own without people shoving stuff down your throat," Kaede looked truly relieved, "although be warned you will be required to explain 'male ego syndrome' to him when you're better."

"'Male ego _syndrome_' Kaede choked. "…The hell is that?"

"No! Save it. Don't want to know." Anis smirked and for once was happy for the migraine's timing. Although…

"Kaede," she asked softly, "Why don't you want to take the medicine?" She ignored the scowl he shot her from under the shaded protection of his arm. "I know it's nasty but wouldn't it be easier than lying around being sick? I mean, wouldn't you rather have a few seconds of 'really nasty' and have it over than stretching things out?"

Kaede shrugged, "You wouldn't understand."

"It's basically the same as taking antibiotics from the doctor."

"You ever had prescriptions that feel like you're stomach, entire throat and jaw, along with a good chunk of brain are being freeze burn liquidated and hammered around like a psychotic…troll?"

Anise winced. "Still," she shrugged, "better than a dwarf tap-dancing in my skull for two days."

Kaede managed to muster up a decent smirk.

"Maybe I just like you're company. Being cared for by the one and only rose princess is a rare delight indeed. Not something a Knight of honor should pass up lightly."

Anise swatted him lightly on the head. "And refusing treatment is a part of that honor?" She shook her head in bewildered amusement. Men and their brain processes, Mars sounded about right.

"Alright you don't want the meds; you've been surviving on good ol' fashion shut-eye since you started your training." Shaking her head she patted his hand and stood. "I'll fix you something to eat but then you promise you'll be good and obey me till you're better?"

Kaede nodded vigorously and instantly regretted it as his brain bounced not-so-happily off the walls of his cranium.

"Alright," she gave a light laugh and headed out the door. "Just no more stupid Knight jokes. We both know you'd smush me flat before learning to like having me around 24/7." Still smirking she sashayed down the hall, happily mixing up new idioms to use on this newest claim.

Kaede watched her go. Snatches of her chirpy tone floated up to grind over something deeper than his ears.

The remnants of her scent still lingered in the room. But most prominently on the spot where she had so casually caressed his wrist. All of it went straight to his head where it over wrote the fever code to flood his senses.

Bringing the limb up to his nose he breathed in the last few traces on his skin and looked at the spot longingly. He could still feel tingles where her fingers had made contact with his skin. The leftover warmth felt like spring sun on the chill in his heart.

"But I wasn't joking.

"Not about liking your company…at least."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ok two hours of sitting in a van on the way to a dressage competition with your MP4 out of battery and your friend blasting the speakers with Korean songs that he doesn't even understand demands an <span>imagination<span> if you are to survive with your grey-matter somewhat intact. **_

_**So please review and I will consider how long until I spare the next chapter some brain functions.**_

_**Now if you will all excuse me I have a certain boy band I must eliminate for the sake of World Sanity. *attempts to hid AK47's and several custom made 'smart' rifles along with knives and katanas along with a truckload of C4 just for the studio***_

_**Well…TA!**_


End file.
